The groundbreaking of Latham Square, Oakland’s newest plaza, has temporarily closed off the intersection of Broadway and Telegraph Avenue off to traffic in favor of experimenting with public space. The pavement where cars flowed—or stalled—is now a blue and green mural based on the City of Oakland’s logo, adorned with modular street furniture and landscaped planters.

The Latham Square project, a public-private collaboration between the City of Oakland, the Downtown Oakland Association, and San Francisco-based art and design studio Rebar, draws its momentum from the growing popularity of pop-up urban space and pedestrian plazas in American cities and Uptown’s redevelopment, according to the City Council resolution written by Complete Streets Program Manager Jamie Parks.